.:WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER ANOTHER RELIGION AFTER LEAVING JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES?

“I would like to know why a person should take the time to consider another religion after leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I have several family members in this religion that will not even speak to me now that I have left. I am so hurt that I really don’t feel like thinking about ‘God’ or ‘spirituality’ anymore. What should I do?”

“I write to you as an Ex-Jehovah’s Witness and current atheist. Quite frankly, I find your website astounding. You do a great job trashing those Watchtower Governing Body scammers, but then you lead your readers straight into another religion!

In my opinion, you are like paramedics doing your best to rescue people in some perilous situation and having rescued them, then administer poison to them. You may not have the numbers or the money of the Watchtower Society but you both claim to know for certain that there is a God up in the sky; you both claim to have an insight into what that God wants with regard to mankind; and as His chosen ones, you both claim the authority to tell other people how they should live their lives. So really, what’s the difference?! My goal is tosow seeds of doubt in the minds of religious people and encourage them to think rationally about why they believe what they do. I applaud your efforts in helping people free themselves from the tyranny of the Watchtower Society, but I find it so sad that you cannot then leave them free to decide for themselves whether or not to have a relationship with a God or a soccer ball or anything else!”

.:I’M AFRAID OF BEING DESTROYED AT ARMAGEDDON. —What If Jehovah’s Witnesses Are Right After All?

“I’m still one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I have many doubts and questions as to whether or not the Watchtower Organization is really ‘The Truth.’ I’m so confused, and I feel like I just want to walk away, but what keeps me here is the fear that Armageddon will come. I don’t want to be destroyed! I want to be on Jehovah’s side, but I’m so afraid. What if Jehovah’s Witnesses are right about Armageddon, after all? If I leave will I be destroyed by Jehovah FOREVER? I don’t want to die! I just don’t know what to do… I feel so trapped!”

“I recently left the Jehovah’s Witnesses and I miss the fellowship I had with my friends in the Watchtower organization. How can I meet other Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses in my area who understand what I am going through?”

OUR RESPONSE:

Dear friend,

You must feel so lonely. It is hard to leave Jehovah’s Witnesses, not only because you lose your friends and family to the organization, but because you face many fears, doubts, and confusing thoughts as you work to reevaluate everything you had been taught as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The loss of this spiritual identity can be one of the hardest aspects of leaving to overcome.

.:I FEEL LIKE I’M GOING CRAZY! HOW CAN I GET WATCHTOWER THINKING OUT OF MY HEAD?

“I’ve been baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness for 12 years, but I haven’t been to a Kingdom Hall for over 3 years. I just got tired of feeling guiltybecause I never felt like I measured up to the standards of ‘the truth.’ Now, after seeing all that I have been learning about the politics of the organization, I doubt I’ll ever go back. But I’m not sure how to deprogram my thoughts. I’m overwhelmed and I don’t know what to believe anymore. Deep down inside, I really feel brainwashed that God will surely reject me since I’ve turned away from the organization that is supposed to be His. How do you change that frame of mind? I feel like I’m going crazy!I felt guilty as a Witness and now I feel guilty for not being one. Please give me some advice.”

“I was baptized into ‘the truth’ when I was 15 years old and now I’m 45 years old. I just discovered that ‘the truth’ is NOT the truth and I am devastated. Did I waste the last 30 years of my life as a Jehovah’s Witness? I still love Jehovah, but I don’t know what to do now. I feel so lost. Can you help me?”

.:HOW CAN I AS AN EX-JEHOVAH'S WITNESS FIND A PLACE TO WORSHIP OUTSIDE THE WATCHTOWER ORGANIZATION?

“I appreciate your website and the fact that you do not endorse any religion. I have left Jehovah’s Witnesses after 46 years of active service. I see false teaching in the other so-called Christian religions and this presents a problem for me. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks of the importance of Christian fellowship and Jesus instructions his followers to celebrate the Memorial. Thus, the question for me is, Who do we associate with and share the Memorial with? On your website under the “Statement of Faith,” you start by saying: “We believe…” Is there some way for others to become part of “we”? So far, I have not found any Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses who meet together for worship. I belong to Ex-Jehovah’s Witness meetup groups both on the Internet locally. They meet once a month at a public place and only about 6-10 show-up to share reasons why they left. I appreciate all of this, but it would be nice if there were more of a formal meeting somewhere to sing songs and pray and worship God. I would appreciate any help you could provide.”

“I recently left Jehovah's Witnesses and have placed my complete trust in the Jesus of the Bible for my salvation. I understand that I am saved, not by joining a church, but by trusting in what Jesus has done in dying for me. But I now have the chance to become a baptized Christian. I know I love Jesus and He is my Lord! I am just not too sure about baptism. I want to. I really do. I don’t know if any of you felt this way after coming out of the organization to Jesus, but to me because I was always told in the Watchtower ‘Oh, No! You can’t get baptized yet until you know enough, etc.’ Well, this has got me thinking, ‘Am I good enough for Jesus and is my deep love for Him enough to be baptized?’ I am praying about this and would appreciate it if you all would help me reach the right decision, because I know in Christ I will. Amen? Thank you for your help and support.”

“I just found your website and couldn’t believe what I was reading at first. It seems to echo everything that has happened to me since coming into contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses 30 years ago. I am a baptized, inactive publisher and have not attended meetings for the last 3 years. I am still in pain every day from not having association with anyone, and feel ashamed of myselfas since leaving, my family and I have been facing many family problems.

.:I LOST MY FAMILY WHEN I LEFT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES - How do I get over this loss?

"I have been disfellowshipped from Jehovah’s Witnesses for four years. So has my husband. Our sons who are “Ministerial servants” in the organization will not speak to us. I am so distressed I don’t know what to do. I tried for two years to get reinstated as a Jehovah’s Witness, but when I met with the “judicial committee” of elders, they acted so ungodly toward me that my husband and I left and never went back. How do I get over having no contact with my sons who are in their 20’s?How do I get back any sense of self worth that I lost being a witness for 13 years— feeling like I’m never good enough, never doing enough? Shoot, I don’t even know how to make friends anymore since we were told never to have association with anyone that was not a witness unless we were trying to convert them to our religion. Where do we go from here? We’re so fearful of getting caught in another controlling religion like this that we stay away from everything."

“I was disfellowshipped from Jehovah's Witnesses. No one will talk to me at the Kingdom Hall. I am being shunned by my family and the only friends I have ever known. I feel all alone. Does Jehovah God hate me too?”

OUR RESPONSE:

Dear friend,

My name is Anne Marie, and I can tell you with a resounding, NO! Jehovah God does not “hate” you! It was not He who disfellowshipped you; it was fleshly men, and they are not the same thing. Jehovah knows what you are going through… better than anyone else. He knows your confusion, your despair, and your pain.

I'M THINKING ABOUT LEAVING, BUT I'M CONFUSED! Does anyone have the truth?

.:HOW TO FIND TRUTH AFTER THE WATCHTOWER

“I’m beginning to question my faith as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I’m so confused! If I leave, where else can I go? Does anyone have the truth? I don’t know what to believe anymore.Is leaving REALLY worth loosing my Jehovah’s Witness friends and family?”

.:DON'T LEAVE JEHOVAH BY LETTING SOME MAN-MADE ORGANIZATION COME BETWEEN YOU AND THE INVISIBLE GOD.

“Please don’t turn your back on Jehovah, son! I raised you in the Truth. How can your turn your back on us and on Jehovah by leaving His organization?”

“Dad, I love Jehovah! That’s why I’m leaving the organization—because it isn’t His. It’s just a group of men claiming to represent God.”

“I happen to know that it is God’s organization, son. I proved it to myself when I left the Catholic Church before you were born. The Truth is so precious to me, Johnny. Please don’t turn your back on Jehovah God!”

“But, Dad, didn’t you tell me Grandpa said the same thing to you when you left that church: that you were ‘leaving God’?”

Depending on how long you were in the Watchtower organization, coming out can put you face-to-face with some really tough decisions. I know, because I came out after thirteen years—most of my adult life—as an active Witness. The big question for those coming out is: “Where do we go from here?”